title: Effects of inorganic mercury on [3H]dopamine release and calcium homeostasis in rat striatal synaptosomes.
abstract: Inorganic mercury (Hg2+) in vitro increases spontaneous transmitter release from nerve terminals. The mechanisms of action are not well understood but may involve alterations in intraterminal Ca2+ dynamics. In this study we describe actions of Hg2+ in vitro on isolated mammalian CNS striatal nerve terminals (synaptosomes). Cobalt (2 mM) completely blocked the effect of 2 microM Hg2+ on spontaneous [3H]dopamine release. Cadmium (100 microM) was equipotent to Co2+ in blocking depolarization-dependent [3H]dopamine release, but did not alter the 2 microM Hg2(+)-induced spontaneous [3H]dopamine release. Depolarization-dependent [3H]dopamine release was not altered by 5 microM Hg2+. It appears that the site of action of Hg2+ on spontaneous [3H]dopamine release is not the Ca2+ channel. The effects of Hg2+ on intraterminal ionized Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) were evaluated using the Ca2(+)-specific fluorescent probe, fura-2. Hg2+ (1-8 microM) had no effect on [Ca2+]i in 1.2 mM Ca2(+)-containing buffers. In nominal Ca2+ media, 4 and 8 microM Hg2+ significantly decreased [Ca2+]i. Following exposure to 4 and 8 microM Hg2+ the quenching of extrasynaptosomal fura-2 by Mn2+ was increased, suggesting that Hg2+ facilitated the leakage of fura-2. This apparent leakage was probably due to a nonspecific increase in membrane permeability since 2 microM Hg2+ produced a Co2(+)-insensitive increase in [3H]deoxyglucose phosphate efflux. Hg2+ did not increase the leakage of either lactate dehydrogenase or soluble protein from synaptosomes. Hg2+ produced a concentration-dependent (1-8 microM) increase in 45Ca2+ efflux from superfused synaptosomes which was insensitive to blockade either by 2 mM Co2+ or by 100 microM Cd2+. These data suggest that the transmitter releasing action of Hg2+ involves interactions with sites that also interact with Co2+ but not with Cd2+. Furthermore, Hg2+ may have direct transmitter releasing actions (i.e., Ca2(+)-mimetic properties), as well as nonspecific actions on plasma membrane permeability which may not necessarily be linked to [3H]dopamine release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0056.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hare
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rezazadeh
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Minnema
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Michaelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D002104:Cadmium; D003035:Cobalt; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D008628:Mercury; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2; D004298:Dopamine